DEAN
CHANCE, an All Star right-handed pitcher whose baseball career
was cut short by injuries, may never make it into the Hall of
Fame at Cooperstown, NY. But, as president of the
International Boxing Association (IBA), he works with many
Hall of Fame fighters.

Chance, an
intimidating 6'3", 225-pounder with a blazing fastball
and an explosive slider, played for 11 seasons in the Major
Leagues. Born June 1, 1941 in Wayne County, Ohio, Dean
turned pro in 1959 and reached The Show in 1961 with the
Los
Angeles Angels..

Among Dean's
career highlights: a complete game no-hitter in 1964, 292
innings pitched in 1968, 39 games started and 18 complete
games in 1967, 234 strikeouts in 1968, and shares the major
league record of six 1-0 complete game wins in a season.
Lifetime stats: 406 games, 294 starts, 128 wins,
115 losses, 33 shutouts, 23 saves, 2.92 lifetime ERA,
2148 innings pitched, 1864 hits, 1534 strikeouts, and 739
walks. Named right-handed "American League Pitcher
of the Decade" (1960s) by The Sporting News.

In 1964, Chance
started the All Star Game at Shea Stadium, and won the Cy
Young Award, when only one such honor was given between
the two leagues. Highlights of Dean's phenomenal
'64 campaign included a 20-9 record, a league-leading 1.65
ERA, and an amazing 11 shutouts among his 15 complete
games. And, despite starting 35 games that year,
Chance also pitched in relief 11 times and recorded four
saves.

Traded to the Minnesota
Twins in
1967, Dean represented the American League and again
started the All Star Game in Anaheim, ironically the home
park of his former club, the California Angels. Chance
also repeated as a 20-game winner.

Dean was dealt to
his hometown Cleveland Indians in 1970, then went to the New
York Mets near the end of that season. He finished his
career with the Detroit Tigers in 1971.

Dean once went 14
innings against the Washington Senators, leaving with the
score 0-0, and was known as the "Yankee Killer"
because of his many wins over New York. He faced many
future Hall of Famers in his career, but his statistics
suffered from continually playing with inferior ballclubs.
In today's market, Chance would earn in excess of $7.5
million per season, a fortune but not as much as Oscar De La
Hoya earns per fight!